Originally published 05:37 p.m., December 5, 2005 Updated 06:31 p.m., December 5, 2005

Douglas County sheriffs deputies are investigating the reported beating of a Kansas University professor who gained recent notoriety for his Internet tirades against Christian fundamentalists.

Kansas University religious studies professor Paul Mirecki reported he was beaten by two men about 6:40 a.m. today on a roadside in rural Douglas County. In a series of interviews late this afternoon, Mirecki said the men who beat him were making references to the controversy that has propelled him into the headlines in recent weeks. Mirecki

Mirecki

I didnt know them, but Im sure they knew me, he said.

Mirecki said he was driving to breakfast when he noticed the men tailgating him in a pickup truck.

I just pulled over hoping they would pass, and then they pulled up real close behind, he said. They got out, and I made the mistake of getting out.

He said the men beat him about the upper body with their fists, and he said he thinks they struck him with a metal object. He was treated and released at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Im mostly shaken up, and I got some bruises and sore spots, he said.

Douglas County Sheriffs Officials are classifying the case as an aggravated battery. They wouldnt say exactly where the incident happened, citing the ongoing investigation

The sheriffs department is looking for the suspects, described as two white males between ages 30 and 40, one wearing a red visor and wool gloves, and both wearing jeans. They were last seen in a large pickup truck.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS or the sheriffs office at 841-0007.

Mirecki recently wrote online that he planned to teach intelligent design as mythology in an upcoming course. He wrote it would be a nice slap in the big fat face of fundamentalists.

The remarks caused an uproar, Mirecki apologized, and KU announced last week the class would be canceled.

I see where you're coming from. I tend to misunderestimate the capacity for folks to take absurd propositions and treat them seriously. If someone cannot recognize the sarcasm in those posts without the presence of an /s tag, my confidence in human communication will be minorly diminished in a major way.

Fester, I wondered if you were joking, and read the right way I don't find your original post about hiding in the bushes too dreadful. A little tasteless, but tastelessness can be the funniest thing.

The problem is that from where some of us are standing much creationist output in these threads reads like a parody, including yours. So we find it hard to tell the difference between your serious output and your humorous output. The /s tags are genuinely required.

For example when I first came across a creationist who openly approved of slavery I assumed that he was joking. It took a while for it to sink in that he was deadly serious.

I see where you're coming from. I tend to misunderestimate the capacity for folks to take absurd propositions and treat them seriously. If someone cannot recognize the sarcasm in those posts without the presence of an /s tag, my confidence in human communication will be minorly diminished in a major way.

For those familiar with the vehement nature displayed in your posting history, it is not too much of a stretch to assume sincerity in your recent comments on this subject.

There is a crowd here that believes that they have found a story with "legs" that will chip off the religious from the GOP, and the GOP from the religious--which would provide the Dems with just enough votes to put themselves in office. The best friend we could have right now is effective LE.

If you want to know why, check out the Daily Kos--you can find the same stuff reprinted. Ever wonder why these guys are so persistent and anti-Christian?

They want to create enough noise to tempt RINOs in office to shun the rightward religious--just keep screaming the same thing long enough, they hope, and they'll chip off some political support. Create enmity--win an election.

Jeez, Mamz, what are you afraid of? Maybe that your tinfoil-hat kookery will lose you these new friends you're so deperately trying to cultivate? This is the third request for you to post evidence - nay, any support at all - of you claims in post 293, and yet there's nothing but silence on your part. Is there anyone home in there?

Well, in the last 30 minutes the story's been picked up by the majors. The MSM seems to be jumping on this like the leftists here on the thread--but they couch everything in "he said", so I'm thinking they're doubting as they're writing.

Wonder if there'll be an interview of our victim-of-the-day on O'Reilly--Oprah?

Being firm in one's convictions and expressing them vehemently is one thing. Advocating, or rejoicing in, a forced molecular rearrangement of a deluded professor is another. As one who is accountable before almighty God for my attitudes and actions, I am reasonably comfortable in recognizing moral repugnancies. At the same time I am puzzled to find moral outrage on the part of those who advocate anything but almighty God as present and active in the creation. Hence I was only stooping to their level in declaring that this incident is merely "nature taking its course." Incidentally, I believe if you look at the professor's original words you will not find a sarcasm tag attached or implied.

Yeah. Wonder if there was a shotgun in the gun-rack, a hound in the truck-bed, Elvis playing on the 8-track, a Bush bumper sticker, King James Bible on the dashboard, and one of their pregnant sister/wives keeping the engine running?

Dan

344
posted on 12/06/2005 9:25:10 AM PST
by BibChr
("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])

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